Jimmy Fallon, the late night star who is hosting his first Emmy Awards show Sunday, says the only problem he’s had so far is coming up with too much material.
Chatting with reporters at the TV Critics Press Tour a few weeks back, he said he and his team had already come up with scripts for seven different bits. “I think the only note was that we have to give out awards. They said, “Look, we have to give out awards…”
Fallon is excited because he’ll be able, amid the giving of 27 awards in the three hour show, to share his humor to such a large audience.
“It’s such a bigger audience, you know. For me, it’s a great opportunity for me and more people to see my type of humor, but you’ve got to relate to different people as well, “ he says.
Mostly, though, Fallon says, “as a fan of the Emmys and a fan of awards shows in general, you just want them to move along.
“I want to keep it moving and keep it fresh and fun and respectful too,” he says.
Respectful? Oh yes, he says. “Because I don’t dislike anybody. I love everybody and I love the whole business that we’re in. So I think, you know, a little just playful jab here and there.”
And he knows just how far to go.
“Coming from ‘Saturday Night Live,’ we kind of know how far you can push things,” Fallon says. “And what’s even enjoyable. I mean, I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable. I want to make people laugh. I want to make the show moving and be entertaining.”
He wont bringing many of his bits from “Late Show with Conan O’Brien” to the Emmys because “it’s not really about me. It’s more about celebrating television and getting all of those [people] face time.”
They deserve it, he says. “It is a crazy good year for TV,” Fallon says. “ I mean, with the new shows like ‘Modern Family’ and ‘Glee’ and ‘Parks and Rec’ and then the old shows going away, ‘Law & Order,’ ‘24,’ ‘Lost’ … Still trying to figure out what happened on “Lost.” I don’t know even know. Were they dead the whole time?
Th 62nd Annual Emmy Awards will be broadcast Sunday at 8 p.m. on NBC.